Not All Gone Yet 



MINNESOTA has the greatest forests of any state, east of 

 the Rocky Mountains. More than five-eighths of its 

 area is a part of the original forest belt. This belt 

 embraced 33 million acres. Over 28 million acres still bear 

 forests of some kind, though much of the area has been 

 logged and still more has been burned over. 



The "Great North Woods" is over 300 miles wide along the 

 northern boundary, and extends 364 miles north and south. 

 The southern portion of this immense area, containing mostly 

 hardwoods, is known as the "Big Woods." Adjoining the Big 

 Woods on the north are the "Pineries," consisting of nearly 

 pure stands of White, Norway or Red, and Jack Pine. North 

 of the true Pineries is a vast region containing rich forests 

 of Spruce, Cedar and Tamarack, and enormous quantities of 

 the finest Birch and Poplar. There is also much Pine, espe- 

 cially in the high, rocky country north of Lake Superior and 

 east of the Little Fork River. The country from the Little 

 Fork and Rat Root Rivers westward to the Red River Valley, 

 embracing an area of five million acres, is a densely forested 

 district. Spruce, Tamarack and Cedar here frequently form 

 stands so dense that they are difficult to penetrate. Here 

 Poplar and Birch attain their best development, and, if fires 

 are kept out, will furnish material for many mills in the 

 future. 



Computing the value of Minnesota's forests to her people, 

 we are confronted with impressive figures. There are ap- 

 proximately 75 billion feet of merchantable timber, standing 

 in the woods. This has a stumpage value of at least $4.00 a 

 thousand. The wages paid out in logging and manufacturing 

 amount to at least $8.00 a thousand, and for transportation 

 an average cost of $1.00 a thousand may be added. This 

 means, then, that the mature timber now standing has a 

 value to the people of Minnesota equivalent to 975 million 

 dollars. This does not take into consideration the value of 



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